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Jane breathed a sigh of relief and hurried down the hall as Luke followed her. She knocked on the door and opened it. Mama J was sitting next to the window, and she smiled at Jane.
“Hello, my sweet Janie.”
“Hello, Mama J.” She dropped Luke’s hand and leaned over Mama J, kissing her soft cheek before giving her a gentle hug.
Mama J returned her hug before smiling at Luke. “Hi there, young man.”
“Hello, Josephine. My name is -”
“Luke,” Mama J said. “I remember. Your Janie’s boyfriend.”
“That’s right, I am,” Luke said. “It’s good to see you again.”
“Good to see you too,” Mama J replied. “What are you two kids up to today?”
“Not too much,” Jane said. “How are you feeling?”
“I feel good. My hip hurts a little, but Bev gave me some meds earlier,” Mama J said. “Luke, you should take my Janie out for dinner. She spends too much time here. She’s young and shouldn’t spend all her time with an old woman like me.”
“Stop that, Mama J,” Jane scolded gently. “I love spending time with you.”
“I love spending time with you, too,” Josephine said. “But my Walter used to take me for dinner every Saturday night. There was this little diner on Westwood Street, and we would go and sit in the last booth. I would order a vanilla milkshake, large of course, and Walter would roll his eyes and tease me because he would always have to finish it.”
She patted Jane’s face. “I miss Walter.”
“I know, Mama J,” Jane said.
“I’ll see him soon.” Mama J wiped away the tears on Jane’s cheeks with her thumbs. “Luke, take Jane out to dinner.”
“Actually,” Luke said. “I was wondering if both of you beautiful young ladies would accompany me for dinner this evening.”
Jane pressed her lips together and tried not to burst into tears as a look of pure joy crossed Mama J’s face. Josephine clapped her hands like a small child. “It’s been so long since I’ve gone out for dinner.”
She paused and then shook her head. “But I can’t intrude on your Saturday night date.”
“I insist,” Luke said. “I’m taking Jane to a little diner on Westwood Street, and we would both love it if you joined us. We need someone to tell us what’s good on the menu.”
“Please, Mama J,” Jane said. “We want you to join us.”
Mama J’s smile widened. “I would love to come for dinner. Janie, help me to get dressed and put on my face, would you?”
Luke headed for the door. “I’ll wait for you in the common room.”
“Thank you, Luke,” Jane said.
He paused in the doorway and gave her the grin she had grown to love. “You’re welcome, Jane.”
* * *
“How is the milkshake, Josephine?” Luke asked.
Mama J smiled at him. “Delicious, Luke. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He squeezed Jane’s hand and leaned back in the booth as Mama J stared at the two of them. She hadn’t eaten much of her burger and fries, but she’d drank a fair amount of her vanilla shake.
He studied the diner as Jane urged her foster mom to eat more. The restaurant wasn’t his usual type of place. The red leather of the booths was old and faded, with rips and butt imprints firmly worn into the seats. The restaurant wasn’t very big, the waitress not very friendly, and he was confident the place would fail its next health inspection, but the food was surprisingly good.
Of course, he wouldn’t be surprised if he and Jane ended up with food poisoning tomorrow. He grimaced inwardly. Not exactly how he wanted to spend his last day with her, but the look on Jane’s face and Mama J’s made the possible food poisoning worth it. He’d never seen Jane look so happy, and as she smiled up at him, he leaned down and kissed her mouth impulsively. He could taste the chicken pot pie she was eating on her lips, and he kissed her again before straightening.
